“More time the better” - Sheldon Keefe offers latest on William Nylander’s status

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Apr 25, 2024 21:12 GMT

The William Nylander injury saga marches on. With details regarding Nylander’s injury scant, at best, insider Mark Masters reports the latest from Maple Laeafs’ coach Sheldon Keefe:

"The more time, the better … We’ve been working with Willy to give him the time that he needs to be ready to play."

The Leafs have a few extra days until game four against the Boston Bruins. In the meantime, the Leafs’ coach believes the additional time will help Nylander get back on the ice.

Nylander last saw action during the Leafs’ final regular-season game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Leafs’ management has kept a tight lid on details regarding the star forward’s condition. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, as reported on CityNews Toronto, the speculation is that Nylander has been dealing with migraine headaches.

Team doctors are working to determine if the migraines are related to a concussion. Considering that Nylander played in all 82 regular-season contests, it may be hard to pinpoint the precise moment of the injury.

It was believed that Nylander could return for last night’s game three matchups. Coach Keefe had told reporters that Nylander would be a game-time decision. Ultimately, the 40-goal scorer did not suit up for Toronto.

The Leafs play the Bruins on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Arena. Boston took Game 3 4-2, grabbing a 2-1 lead in the series. The Leafs hope Nylander’s return can boost them as they look to even the series.

Eerie silence surrounding William Nylander’s injury

The entire Leafs’ organization, including coaching staff and players, have been eerily quiet regarding Nylander’s injury situation.

In particular, Keefe has openly dodged questions about any lineup updates. As the postseason rolled around, Keefe clarified he would not share any updates regarding the lineup.

Thus far, Keefe has only provided vague comments on Nylander’s return.

Some reports suggest that Keefe is following orders from GM Brad Treliving, who’s asked Keefe to disclose little information about Nylander.

An article in the Toronto Star labeled the silence as “gag order nonsense,” underscoring that the lack of information has fueled wild conspiracy theories. One such theory purports that Keefe benched Nylander for his lack of effort down the stretch.

Nylander registered one goal in the club’s last eleven games. However, he finished with a 40-goal, 98-point campaign.

At this point, the Leafs have not even referred to Nylander’s injury as “upper body” or “lower body.”

Before this postseason, Nylander had not missed a game since November 2016. Perhaps the Leafs are being extra cautious. Maybe the injury is more serious than analysts believe. Whatever the case, mum’s the word as the Leafs-Bruins series moves into Game 4.